Bleak House — Page 5
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Who happen to be in the Lord Chancellor's court this murky afternoon besides the Lord Chancellor, the counsel in the cause, two or three counsel who are never in any cause, and the well of solicitors before mentioned?
¿Quiénes se encuentran en el tribunal del Lord Canciller esta turbia tarde, además del Lord Canciller, los letrados del caso, dos o tres letrados que no intervienen en ningún caso, y el grupo de procuradores antes mencionado?
There is the registrar below the judge, in wig and gown; and there are two or three maces, or petty-bags, or privy purses, or whatever they may be, in legal court suits.
Está el secretario debajo del juez, con peluca y toga; y hay dos o tres maceros, o alguaciles, o tesoreros, o lo que quiera que sean, vestidos con sus trajes judiciales.
These are all yawning, for no crumb of amusement ever falls from Jarndyce and Jarndyce (the cause in hand), which was squeezed dry years upon years ago.
Todos ellos bostezan, pues ni una migaja de entretenimiento cae jamás del caso Jarndyce contra Jarndyce (el asunto en cuestión), que fue exprimido hasta secarse hace ya muchísimos años.
The short-hand writers, the reporters of the court, and the reporters of the newspapers invariably decamp with the rest of the regulars when Jarndyce and Jarndyce comes on.
Los taquígrafos, los relatores del tribunal y los periodistas de los diarios se marchan invariablemente junto con el resto de los habituales cuando llega el turno de Jarndyce contra Jarndyce.
Their places are a blank.
Sus asientos quedan vacíos.
Standing on a seat at the side of the hall, the better to peer into the curtained sanctuary, is a little mad old woman in a squeezed bonnet who is always in court, from its sitting to its rising, and always expecting some incomprehensible judgment to be given in her favour.
De pie sobre un banco al costado de la sala, para poder atisbar mejor el santuario cubierto por cortinas, hay una viejecita medio loca con un bonete aplastado que siempre está en el tribunal, desde que se abre hasta que se cierra, esperando siempre que se dicte alguna sentencia incomprensible a su favor.
Some say she really is, or was, a party to a suit, but no one knows for certain because no one cares.
Algunos dicen que realmente es, o fue, parte en un litigio, pero nadie lo sabe con certeza porque a nadie le importa.
She carries some small litter in a reticule which she calls her documents, principally consisting of paper matches and dry lavender.
Lleva consigo un pequeño revoltijo en un ridículo al que llama sus documentos, compuesto principalmente de fósforos de papel y lavanda seca.
Vocabulary
- Quiénes
- Interrogative pronoun meaning 'who' for plural subjects.
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive or passive verbs.
- encuentran
- Third person plural of encontrar; they find or meet.
- tribunal
- A court of law or judicial body.
- Canciller
- High-ranking government or judicial official; Chancellor.
- turbia
- Adjective meaning murky, cloudy, or gloomy.
- tarde
- Afternoon or late; noun meaning afternoon.
- además
- Adverb meaning 'besides,' 'furthermore,' or 'also.'
- letrados
- Learned lawyers or legal professionals in court.
- caso
- Noun meaning case, instance, or legal matter.
- intervienen
- Third plural of intervenir; they intervene or participate.
- ningún
- Adjective meaning 'no' or 'not any' before masculine nouns.
- grupo
- A group or cluster of people or things.
- procuradores
- Legal representatives or solicitors acting for clients.
- antes
- Adverb meaning 'before' or 'previously.'
- mencionado
- Past participle of mencionar; previously mentioned or cited.
- secretario
- A secretary or clerk performing administrative duties.
- debajo
- Preposition or adverb meaning 'below' or 'underneath.'
- juez
- A judge who presides over legal proceedings.
- peluca
- A wig worn especially by judges or performers.
- toga
- A robe or gown worn by judges or academics.
- hay
- Impersonal form of haber; there is or there are.
- maceros
- Mace-bearers who carry ceremonial staffs in court.
- alguaciles
- Court officers or bailiffs maintaining order in court.
- tesoreros
- Treasurers responsible for managing funds or finances.
- quiera
- Subjunctive of querer; whoever may want or wish.
- sean
- Subjunctive plural of ser; whoever they may be.
- vestidos
- Dressed or wearing clothing; past participle of vestir.
- trajes
- Suits or costumes; formal garments worn for occasions.
- judiciales
- Adjective meaning judicial or relating to courts of law.
- Todos
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all' or 'everyone.'
- bostezan
- Third plural of bostezar; they yawn out of boredom.
- pues
- Conjunction meaning 'since,' 'well,' or 'because.'
- ni
- Negative conjunction meaning 'neither,' 'nor,' or 'not even.'
- migaja
- A crumb or tiny scrap; a very small amount.
- entretenimiento
- Entertainment or amusement that keeps someone occupied.
- cae
- Third singular of caer; it falls or drops down.
- jamás
- Adverb meaning 'never' or 'ever,' strong negation.
- contra
- Preposition meaning 'against' in legal or physical contexts.
- asunto
- A matter, affair, or subject under discussion.
- cuestión
- A question, issue, or matter under consideration.
- fue
- Preterite of ser or ir; it was or he/she went.
- exprimido
- Past participle of exprimir; squeezed or wrung dry.
- hasta
- Preposition meaning 'until,' 'up to,' or 'even.'
- secarse
- Reflexive infinitive of secar; to dry up completely.
- hace
- Used with time expressions meaning 'ago' or 'it has been.'
- ya
- Adverb meaning 'already,' 'now,' or 'anymore.'
- muchísimos
- Superlative of muchos; very very many, a great number.
- años
- Plural of año; years of time.
- taquígrafos
- Stenographers or shorthand writers recording proceedings.
- relatores
- Court reporters or narrators summarizing legal proceedings.
- periodistas
- Journalists or reporters who write for news outlets.
- diarios
- Newspapers or daily publications; daily diaries.
- marchan
- Third plural of marchar; they march or move along.
- invariablemente
- Adverb meaning invariably or always without exception.
- junto
- Preposition or adjective meaning 'next to' or 'together.'
- resto
- Noun meaning the rest, remainder, or what is left.
- habituales
- Adjective meaning habitual, regular, or usual attendees.
- cuando
- Conjunction meaning 'when' indicating time or condition.
- llega
- Third singular of llegar; he/she/it arrives or comes.
- turno
- A turn, shift, or one's time to do something.
- asientos
- Seats or chairs where people sit in a place.
- quedan
- Third plural of quedar; they remain or stay behind.
- vacíos
- Adjective meaning empty, vacant, or unoccupied spaces.
- pie
- Foot; de pie means standing on one's feet.
- sobre
- Preposition meaning 'on,' 'over,' or 'about.'
- banco
- A bench, bank, or long seat for multiple people.
- costado
- The side of a body, building, or room.
- sala
- A room or hall, especially a courtroom or living room.
- poder
- Infinitive meaning 'to be able to' or 'can.'
- atisbar
- To peek, glimpse, or observe something from a distance.
- mejor
- Comparative adjective meaning 'better' or 'best.'
- santuario
- A sanctuary or sacred space offering refuge and protection.
- cubierto
- Past participle of cubrir; covered or concealed by something.
- cortinas
- Curtains or drapes hanging in front of windows or spaces.
- viejecita
- Affectionate diminutive meaning a sweet little old woman.
- medio
- Half or halfway; also means middle or medium.
- loca
- Adjective meaning crazy, mad, or mentally unwell woman.
- bonete
- A clerical or academic cap with a distinctive flat top.
- aplastado
- Past participle meaning flattened, crushed, or squashed.
- siempre
- Adverb meaning 'always' or 'every time without fail.'
- desde
- Preposition meaning 'since' or 'from' a point in time.
- abre
- Third singular of abrir; it opens or someone opens it.
- cierra
- Third singular of cerrar; it closes or someone closes it.
- esperando
- Gerund of esperar; waiting or hoping for something.
- dicte
- Subjunctive of dictar; that someone may issue or dictate.
- alguna
- Indefinite adjective meaning 'some' or 'any' feminine noun.
- sentencia
- A judicial sentence, ruling, or verdict in a case.
- incomprensible
- Adjective meaning incomprehensible or impossible to understand.
- favor
- Favor or benefit; a su favor means in her favor.
- Algunos
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'some' or 'some people.'
- dicen
- Third plural of decir; they say or they tell.
- realmente
- Adverb meaning 'really,' 'truly,' or 'in reality.'
- parte
- A part, portion, or legal party involved in a case.
- litigio
- A lawsuit, litigation, or legal dispute between parties.
- nadie
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'nobody' or 'no one.'
- sabe
- Third singular of saber; he/she/it knows a fact.
- certeza
- Noun meaning certainty or sureness about something known.
- porque
- Conjunction meaning 'because,' giving a reason or cause.
- importa
- Third singular of importar; it matters or is important.
- Lleva
- Third singular of llevar; she carries or brings with her.
- consigo
- Reflexive pronoun meaning 'with herself/himself/themselves.'
- pequeño
- Adjective meaning small, little, or tiny in size.
- revoltijo
- A jumble, mess, or disordered mixture of items.
- ridículo
- Adjective meaning ridiculous, absurd, or laughably foolish.
- llama
- Third singular of llamar; she calls or refers to as.
- documentos
- Documents or official papers containing written information.
- compuesto
- Past participle of componer; composed or made up of parts.
- principalmente
- Adverb meaning 'mainly,' 'principally,' or 'above all.'
- fósforos
- Matches used to light fires; also phosphorus element.
- papel
- Paper used for writing; also means role or part.
- lavanda
- Lavender, a fragrant purple flowering herb or its scent.
- seca
- Adjective meaning dry or dried out; feminine form.
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